Curtain-drier



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CURTAIN DRIER.

Ne. 461,608. P etented 001.20, 1891.

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@Nits STATES ELIZABETH GILMORE, OE GREENCASTLE, II\IDIAI\IA.`

CURTAIN-DINER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 461,608, dated October 20, 1891.

Application filed September 8, 189C). Serial No. 364,291. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELIZABETH GILMORE, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Greencastle, in the county of Putnam and State of Indiana, have invented anew and useful Ourtain-Drier, of which the'following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to a laundry, and more especially to the devices used therein for holding lace curtains and other fine articles distended when they are drying; and the 0bje t of the invention is to produce a device of this character capable of being stored away in a very small space.

To this end the invention consists, broadly speaking, of a frame whose side bars are composed of pieces hinged together, together with the specific details of construction of the parts of such frame, all as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as illustrated in the drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view of a drying-frame embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the side bars of said frame when distended, and Eig. 3 the same when folded. Fig'. 4 is a section through one side bar.

Referring to the said drawings, the frame consists of two side and two end bars held together at the points where they cross each other at the corners of the frame by strong clamps C in the ordinary Well-known manner, and such points of connection can be adj usted to regulate the size of the'frame to agree with that of the curtain to be supported thereby, all as is well understood and forming` no part of the present invention.

Each side bar of the frame consists of two inner pieces I and two outer pieces O, all provided with pins P in their upper faces, over which the curtain is to be hooked. The ou ter pieces are connected at their inner ends with the outer ends of the inner pieces by ordinary hinges H, whose leaves are preferably secured to the lower faces of the two pieces, so that the outer pieces can be bent downwardly, but the striking of their ends against the ends of the inner pieces will prevent their bending upward. Secured to the inner and outer edges of both inner pieces I are metallic arms A, whose inner ends are curved or bent, as at B, and are provided with registering perrivet R, pivotally connecting the pair of arms A at each edge of the inner pieces. l

rIhe side bars of the frame being distended, as shown in Fig. 2, if they are supported at their ends-that is, at the corners of the frame-they cannot sag at their centers or between their ends, because the pivotal and hinged connections between the pieces of each side bar are in the nature of knuckle-joints. The side bars are connected by the clamps C to make up a-frame of the desired size. The curtain is supported upon this frame, and the corners of the frame are supported by any suitable means. (Not shown.)

After the curtain has been dried and it is desired to store away the frame in the smallest possible space the clamps C are removed, the curtain disconnected from the pins P, and each member folded to the position shown in Fig. 3. In so folding a member the outer pieces O are first bent downwardly against the under sides of the inner pieces I, with their outer ends standing between the pairs of arms A. The inner members I are then folded about the pivots R, so that the upper faces of the outer members O come in contact with each other, as shown in Fig. 3, and the side bar is reduced to one-quarter its length when distended. As this length is about fourteen feet, more or less, the reduction thereof to this extent is extremely useful, in that the device can then be stored away in acomparatively small space or in ashort cupboard.

In order that the heads of the pins P will not come in contact with each other or with the upper'faces of the outer pieces O when the side bars are folded, as in Fig. 3, I make the side bars of the cross-section, shown in Fig. e-that is, with their inner upper oorners beveled or grooved, as shown at G-and the pins P are seated in the bevels of these cut-away corners so deeply that their heads will not project abovethe plane of the upper face of the bar.

Vhat I claim assnew is-` The herein-described curtain-drier frame, the same comprising end bars and side bars at G, along its upper inner corner, and pins P, seated in said cut-away portions, with their louter ends below the planes of the upper faces of said pieces, all as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' ELIZABETH GILMORE. lVitnesses:

F. G. GILMoRE, B. F. CORWIN. 

